Welcome to rebeccalife.com! Navigating rebeccalife.com is easy and you can still find all the posts and category's you loved from EasyDress and EasyBite in the drop down menus. Click Here if you need help navigating. Happy Browsing!

Monday, October 22, 2012

Well, after an unexpected wait I can finally announce the winners of the Nigella Lawson 'How to be a Domestic Goddess' giveaway.

There was a glitch with my survey provider and I was unable to view the names and addresses of the entrants for a few days.

Again, a big thank you goes out to Stockland for sponsoring this giveaway!

The winners are...

Elizabeth P and Rachel J

Congratulations to the winners, please send an email to rebecca@easydress.org to confirm your entry.
Your postal address will be provided to a representative of Stockland so that the prize can be sent.

If you didn't win this time, make sure you check back regularly for more giveaways!

Monday, October 8, 2012

If you follow me on twitter you're probably well aware that I have an obsession with scent, particularly with candles. You're probably also aware that when it comes to candles, I am completely in love with Glasshouse Fragrances.

When I heard whispers of a new limited edition scent back in July I checked my local home wares store almost daily (hence the for mentioned obsession) for this new, mysterious product. Then I started hearing words such as 'burnt sugar' and 'white peony' and my obsession grew from a casual browse to a full blown man hunt. I contacted Glasshouse and they very kindly told me to calm down, the candle won't be released until September.

I bribed a sales girl (because that's the kind of person I am) into calling me as soon as the candle was on their shelves. On the day it launched I waltzed into the store like it was my wedding day and I was about to make a life time commitment to my soul mate. My soul mate was fruitier than expected but oh-so divine.

The stand out notes of Coney Island are Burnt Sugar and Fig but as the candle is burning the smooth blend of Vanilla Blossom, Coconut Milk and Passion Fruit comes to life. Jasmine and Freesia keep the scent lively while Vanilla Ambrette holds a mellow note long after you have finished burning the candle.

Can we just talk about how utterly gorgeous this packaging is?
I haven't been able to bring myself to throw away the box because it so beautifully detailed, not to mention the blue glass candle (instead of the regular clear glass).

Glasshouse candles retail for around $38 and have an 80 hour burn time (though I find that it leans more towards 100 hours). They're triple scented and can easily scent your home. I leave mine burning in my lounge room and it scents the room, my bedroom, the kitchen and dining room. The scent lingers long after you have extinguished the flame (by putting the lid back on, never blow out a Glasshouse candle).

The 239 Eye Shader brush is a natural hair, short, flat paddle
brush designed for shading the entire eye area. It can be used with both
powder and cream products.The bristles are dense enough to pick up enough product without
causing fall-out. Shades are applied evenly and can be as sheer or
opaque as you desire. I use the brush for shading the entire eye area.The fibres are very smooth, almost as if they have been waxed (but
they haven't). This gives a perfect application and is why this brush is
loved among make up artists. It's the only eye shader I use, simply
because it's the best.The brush photographed is two years old and has had almost daily
use since it's purchase. It has had no shedding, no fraying and hasn't
stained (it still cleans up to the same colour it was when I purchased
it).

Best used for: Giving a perfect, even colour over the entire eye area with both cream and powder products.

Disclaimer: I have worked with MAC on a professional level for many years and received a lot of my professional training from MAC. However I have never been employed by MAC and this product was paid for with my own money. I am not being paid for this review, all opinions are my own.

Animal Testing: MAC has always maintained cruelty-free production of products and is against animal testing. There has been some controversy over the past few months but MAC is still maintaining that they do not test on animals. Some MAC brushes do contain animal hair. MAC maintains that the hair is is farmed ethically and cruelty-free.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

I've never written an 'Empties' post before (mostly because I don't use up that many products) but I had a few this month so I decided to give it a go..

Palmers Cocoa Butter Body Wash
This is absolutely my favourite body wash, it's cheap ($5.99 from supermarkets), sulfate and paraben free and it's very moisturising. It smells delicious and a bottle lasts a few months. It also lathers really well which is rare in sulfate free products. I will definitely repurchase (in fact, I already have).

Evo The Great Hydrator Hair Treatment
One of my favourite products, this is an incredibly nourishing treatment for my chemically treated, heat fried hair. I use it once or twice a week instead of conditioner and leave it on for about 10-15 minutes to get the best result. My hair is left incredibly shiny and soft and it has been a huge helper in healing my burnt hair, you can read more about that HERE. I've already repurchased and am on probably my 5th bottle of this.

Evo Icon Welder Heat Tamer Spray
I don't really need to explain this one, I go through about a bottle a month (I use a lot of heat on my hair) and have raved about the product HERE. I will continue to repurchase.

OPI Drip Dry
I'd purchased this a few times before deciding to bite the bullet and buy the salon sized bottle. It cost me around $30 (from the US) but has lasted well over a year. You place a few drops onto wet nail polish and leave it for a minute. It speeds up the drying process and you'll have dry nails within two minutes. I probably won't repurchase only because I usually use a Shellac UV cured top coat over my nail polish but it's definitely a good buy, especially if you're impatient and always mess up your wet nails.

Evo Haze
I asked my hairdresser how to solve my number one life problem: flat hair (some may call me a little over-dramatic). She said 'Evo Haze, of course'. I've always teased my hair or crimped the roots to give a good lift and my hair was hating me for it. Evo Haze is a styling powder, you dust it on your roots and rub it in with your fingers. It turns from a powder to a liquid and sets into place. It gives great volume and holds all day. I've already repurchased and will continue too.

Lancome Artliner
I love this liner, it's the only one I've used for the past 4 months (this is my second tube). It's a rich black felt tip liner and it doesn't flake or budge during the day. It's incredibly easy to apply and allows you to choose how thick your line is and how you taper it off at the end. It's a perfect liner, I will repurchase.

The 217 blending brush is a natural hair, oval tapered brush designed for shading and blending the eye. It's best used with powder products but can be used with cream products if they're not too dry.

I use it for shading the entire eye area or for blending darker colours into the crease. It's also tapered enough to blend colours into the outer corner.

The bristles are medium-dense, they hold their shape and blend colours effortlessly.

I own a few of these because they are one of my all time favourite brushes. They have a unique shape to them, a shape typically reserved for foundation brushes.

The brush photographed is three years old and has had almost daily use since it's purchase. It has had no shedding, only very minimal fraying and hasn't stained (it still cleans up to the same colour it was when I purchased it).

Best used for: Shading the crease and blending darker colours into the socket or outer corner.

Disclaimer: I have worked with MAC on a
professional level for many years and received a lot of my professional
training from MAC. However I have never been employed by MAC and this
product was paid for with my own money. I am not being paid for this
review, all opinions are my own.

Animal Testing: MAC has always maintained cruelty-free production of products and is against animal testing. There has been some controversy over the past few months but MAC is still maintaining that they do not test on animals. Some MAC brushes do contain animal hair. MAC maintains that the hair is is farmed ethically and cruelty-free.

Monday, October 1, 2012

My hair
naturally is a frizz-bomb and the fact that I'm running a straightener
through it every day doesn't help. I use Moroccan Oil (reviewed HERE)
after I wash it with heavy duty shampoos and conditioners to give it
much needed moisture.
But sometimes it's just not calming down, especially if it's a humid or
windy day.

My hair is long, which means it's already going to
be slightly unhealthy, but the fact that I colour it every three weeks
and use a lot of heat on it to look presentable doesn't help.

John Freida Frizz Ease Ultra Repair Serum is great
for taming suddenly dry or frizzy hair. Sometimes my hair may be
perfectly smooth in the morning by by the afternoon it's gets slightly
frizzy through the lengths, this serum is great for
a quick fix to treat it.

It's also weather proof so even if you get caught in
a wind storm you're still going to be able to run your fingers through
your hair and bring it back to that presentable state.

I separate my hair into two sections and run two
pumps through each section. It absorbs quickly and doesn't leave hair
feeling or looking greasy or oily. It adds a gorgeous shine to hair and
is colour-less (which means it will be great for
blonde's!).

I'm only about an eighth of the way through my bottle and I've been using it almost every day for two months.

I highly recommend this product for anyone who
wishes their hair was smoother, had more shine or had less frizz. I will
use up the bottle and I will repurchase.

You'll be able to find it in Coles, Woolworths and
Priceline in Australia for $10-12 or in Ulta, Walgreens and Rite Aid in
the US for $4-6.

Animal Testing: John Frieda does not test their products on animals however it is owned by Kao brands which does test on animals.

Welcome!

I am a lifestyle/everything blogger from Australia with a flare for beauty and food. I've been blogging for a decade and have no intention of slowing down. Click the Bio/Contact tab above to read more. If you're feeling like a chat you can find me on@ohrebeccalife on Twitter and Instagram or you can send me an email at friends@rebeccalife.com.